Ardross Castle Alness

Ardross Castle near  Alness is a large 19th century mansion built for the Matheson family and which may incorporate earlier works from the 18th and even 17th century. It is in a prominent but undefensive location within a private estate and at the time of writing being marketed as a luxury venue – perhaps most famous for being the place that the 2022 BBC series “Traitors”. There is no public access, and no parking by the entrance.

Ardross was previously known as Tollie, and was held by a branch of the Ross family of Balnagown. However, it was apprised by the Mackenzie for non payment of debt in the 1644, and a (no doubt ruinously expensive) legal case ensued that was still ongoing in 1776! The Rosses eventually died out and Murdo Mackenzie was undisputed laird in 1795, but he wasn’t that interested in it and sold it in the 1820s to the Duke of Sutherland in order for the Duke to gain the fishing rights. The mansion was supposedly built in the 1840s, but I strongly suspect there are older parts of the structure hidden behind the baronial facade.